Collapsible package



Oct 31, 1939. J. w. SIMMONS COLLAPSIBLE PACKAGE Filed Feb. 28, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l t. 31, 1939. J w s s 2173.499

COLLAPS IBLE PACKAGE Filed Feb. 28, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 77m 6. .2 1 i 26 Patented a. 31, 1939 2,1?8A99 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE 2,178,499 coLLArsIBLE PACKAGE Jack W. Simmons, Tallahassee, Fla.

Application February 28, 1936, Serial No. 66,274

2 Cairns. (Cl. 217-47) This invention relates to the art of collapsible practice. It is to be understood that the strucpackages, such as knockdown crates, boxes, etc., tural details of this disclosure are capable of adapted for use as shipping containers for fruit variation as desired so long as they remain conand the like, particularly citrus fruits, especially sistent with the scope of the invention as claimed.

grapefruit and oranges. Figure 1 of the drawings is a perspective view IS" In the development of the art of loose cooperof the partially opened blank of the invention, age the wire bound wooden crate or box has atcomprising the bottom and side wall portions with tained great popularity and wide commercial use p efi ed binding Wiresas a shipping package or container. Various Figure 2 is a top face perspective view of a lid types of such packages have been produced, and employed in the package. 30 by far the majority of such packages when filled Figure 3 is a perspective view of an end panel, require machine handling for lidding operations its assembled position being shown in dotted lines and for proper tying of the wire binding straps. in Figure 1.

Prior to the advent of this invention the prac- Figure 4 is a top plan view of the operatively tice in this art has been, in the case of wire assembled package with lid removed. 15 bound packages, to apply the lid after filling and Figure 5 is an end elevation of the package as then to tie together the, loose ends of the wire folded prior to use. strap elements carried by, respectively, the unit Figure 6 is a vertical longitudinal section consisting of the bottom and sides, andthe unit h o e complete pac as Service assemcomprising the top. In those instances where a bled. 20 constricting central support is a necessity such Figure 7 is a horizontal section taken on the practice precludes the possibility of uniform tying line 1-1 of Figure 6. operations at the ends and center, due to the Figure 8 is a vertical section taken on the line I central upward bulge of the lid which must be 8-8 of Figure '7. present in a properly filled package, as will be Figure 9 is a side elevation illustrating the 25 understood by those skilled in the art. method of applying the lid.

An object of my invention is the provision of Figure 10 is a fragmentary end elevation illusa loose cooperage wire bound package having tratingalid securing detail. bottom and side wall portions operatively con- As disclosed, the package comprises a bottom nected by attached flexible binding elements of portion or section B made of two or more spaced uniform length which extend entirely around the slats ll arranged side by side and connected totop, bottom and side walls as continuous elements gether at each end by a bottom end cleat member wherein the ends are tied or suitably united at E2 suitably secured to the slats and overlying the time the bottom and side wall portions are their inner faces, the cleat ends terminating flush assembled, and prior to the placing of end and with the outer side edges of the slats. In center 35 partition panels and the application of a lid. partition packages an intermediate cleat I3 is .Another object is the provision of a knockdown provided, it being similar to the end cleats, simpackage comprising a collapsible blank formed ilarly attached, and parallel thereto intermediate of a bottom and side wall portions associated in the ends of the bottom. The cleats are provided loosely hinged relation by flexible binding eleeach with a longitudinal groove, 12' and i3 re- 4 ments attached thereto and extending entirely spectively, opening to their upper faces. therearound across the tops of the wall portions Associated with the bottom B are two opposite aspre-tied continuous elements. side wall sections W, each being formed of two Another object is the provision in such a packor more slats l4 spaced apart and connected "age of a novel lid structure and method of astogether at their ends by wall cleat members I5 45 sembling. attached to and overlying the inner faces of the A still further object is the provision in a slats, with their ends terminating flush with the package of such character of separately applicable outer side edges of the wall slats. In center parend and/or partition panel means having intertition packages each wall section is provided looking engagement with prefixed binding wires with an intermediate cleat l5 similar to the end 50 carried by the package body and extending across cleats and parallel thereto. The cleats are proits top. Other objects will be apparent from the vided each with a longitudinal groove, l5 and description to those skilled in the art. I6 respectively, opening to their inner faces.

The present disclosure constitutes a practical The bottom and the side walls are permaembodiment y which my invention is reduced to nently connected in loosely hinged relation by means of flexible binding elements, here shown as binding wire straps. These elements I! have their ends tied or otherwise joined so as to provide continuous bands that extend entirely around the package and across its top, they being securely attached to the walls and bottom. As shown best in Figures 4, 6 and 7, the wire H at each end is so positioned that it overlies approximately the longitudinal center of that portion of each of the cleats I2 and I5 which lies between the cleat groove and the adjacent end of the wall or bottom. Where the package length necessitates central support an intermediate binding element I1 is provided, and if used in conjunction with intermediate wall cleats, such as IE, it is arranged to overlie the cleats at one or the other side of the cleat groove.

The flexible binding elements I 1 being continuous bands provide means whereby the bottom and wall sections are permanently connected in a loose hinged relation, forming a foldable blank which may be collapsed to one or the other side of the bottom to lie substantially flat as shown in Figure 5, with the separable lid and the end and partition panels nested between the folds.

With the blank opened to upright position the binding elements IT, IT, extend across the open top with only sufficient slack to take up the lateral expansion resulting when the package is filled. When opened to service position the side walls assume the perpendicular with respect to the bottom. End panels I8 are provided, being of proper dimensions to seat in the grooves of the end cleats on the walls and bottom. These panels are inserted in the wall cleat grooves and are pushed down in place, their bottom edge portions seating in the grooves I? of the bottom end cleats. Each panel [8 has attached to its outer face inwardly of each side edge a vertical guide cleat l9 which abuts the adjacent wall cleat l5 and the bottom cleat I 2. Each end panel cleat I9 has its upper end flush with the upper edge of the panel and has a thickness substantially equal the width of the adjacent abutting area of the bottom and wall cleats, so that when the end panels are in place the constricting force of the end binding elements or wires I? occurs in the plane of the cleats NJ, as will be evident from an inspection of Figures 6 and '7, being transmitted through the cleats to the end panels.

In center partition packages a center partition panel 20 is inserted in the grooves of the intermediate wall cleats l6 and pushed down to seat its lower edge in the seating groove of the bottom intermediate cleat l3.

When the panels have been positioned the package is filled in the usual manner and a lid member 2i is applied over the top. In the present disclosure the lid member comprises a rectangular section dimensioned to cover the package top and provided with means having interlocking engagement with the binding elements whereby to secure the lid in closed position. As shown, such means comprises a keeper 22 in the form of a cleat rigidly attached to the upper face of the top at one end and having its side edge at the lid end cut on a bevel as at 23, the opposite side edge of the cleat being longitudinally undercut as at 24 to take over and house the adjacent wire bending element l1 when the lid is applied.

At its other end the lid member 2| is provided with an attached reinforcing cleat 25 through which is secured a pair of flexible bails 26, preferably formed of wire, providing tongues arranged to be flexed under the adjacent end wire strap I! and bent back thereover to fasten the lid in place. As shown in Figure 9, the lid 2! is positioned by sliding its bevelled keeper at a downward angle under the binding wire I! at one end and then pulling the lid forwardly to cause the keeper to engage over the wire which wedges in the keeper undercut, seating as shown in Figure 6. The flexible bails 26 are then inserted beneath the binding wire I! at the opposite end and bent up and back over the wire to draw the lid down in place with an interlocked engagement with the binding wires at each end. The extent of the bails 26, their flexible nature, and the flexibility of the binding wires I! enable the lid to be secured in place even though considerably bowed by the package contents.

An important feature of the invention resides in the fact that the lid overlies the central binding wire l1 when this is used, so that the presence of this binder does not interfere with ap plication of the lid. Also, such an arrangement permits the use of binding wires of equal length as the central binding wire does not have to compensate itself to lid bulge. An added advantage is that the central binding wire l1 provides a support beneath the lid at its center and thus eliminates the possibility of damage to the package contents through too great a lid pressure in application or from sudden strains in transportation.

I claim:

1. A sectional collapsible package polygonal in cross section, one section comprising a lid, end less band flexible binding elements permanently attached to and connecting all said sections except the lid at the ends of the package, an endless band flexible binding element connecting all said sections except the lid intermediate the ends of the package, and said lid being detachably engageable beneath said binding elements at the package ends and overlying said intermediate binding element and directly supported thereby.

2. A sectional collapsible package polygonal in cross section comprising in combination, a bottom section, wall sections, panels transversely positioned between and engageable detachably with said sections, endless band flexible binding elements connecting said sections in hinged relation and extending transversely across the tops of said wall sections at each end of the package, a lid section, a cleat fixed to one end of said lid section and undercut for interlocking engagement with one of said binding elements, and fastener means at the other end of said lid section detachably engageable with said binding element at the other end of the package.

JACK W. SIMMONS. 

